In presenting the awards, NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson said the three "put their lives at risk to make sure that others didn't have their own safety and lives put at risk".

"They genuinely deserve to be recognised as heroes," he added.

Mr Nunes, 36, father of a six-month-old baby boy, scaled the crane tower to assist Mr May - and was still on it when the crane boom collapsed, but escaped injury, CFMEU NSW state secretary Brian Parker revealed.